Chapter 029: Ancient House Transfiguration (1)
It was pouring rain. Suddenly, a loud thunder exploded in the night sky. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the pale face of the man in the rain.
The man wiped the rain off his face, looked at the desolate and dilapidated courtyard, and tremblingly opened the cloth bag in his arms. In the bag, a blackened broken hand bone was exposed.
The man leaned over carefully and placed the human bones into the pit that had been dug.
With a "boom", another thunder sounded, and white lightning suddenly struck the pit, splashing rain, and the soil gave off a burnt black smell.
The man was so shocked that he sat down on the ground, gasping for breath.
Suddenly, his pupils dilated and his expression changed suddenly.
"ah……"
The dead silent courtyard was filled with the man's terrified screams.
He hurriedly rolled up the human bones, wrapped them in cloth, picked them up and ran, using his hands and feet to escape in panic in the rain.
It was the rainy season, and it rained for several days in a row. The town was not as prosperous as the city. There were no bright lights everywhere at night. There were only a few dim street lights that could not illuminate the water stains on the ground. Pedestrians accidentally stepped into a puddle, and water splashed everywhere.
Two people were walking on the muddy road holding umbrellas. When they reached the end of the road, they put down their umbrellas and pushed open the red wooden door at the end of the long street with a creak.
A moment later, with a "bang", the two men stumbled out.
They were shouting something incoherently, their eyes were bulging, and their legs were so weak that they could hardly walk.
After a long time, they were found by their family members who were looking for them and carried back.
The two men were brothers and from the same family. A few days later, a white banner was hung in front of the family's door and a funeral was held. The two men died of illness, and the mourners only burned incense and did not say goodbye to the bodies.
But some curious people secretly went to see the body.
In an instant, screams startled everyone in the mourning hall.
According to rumors, the body lying in the coffin had no skin, was bloody and had no human appearance. It was not skinned, but seemed to have been molten by high-temperature molten lava. The skin was burned away, and the flesh and blood were about to melt. The body was full of pits and uneven shapes, as if... a giant candle that was melting, and this candle was made up of the intersection of red and white.
The sky cleared up after the rain.
As Tao Xing stepped out of nothingness and fell into this world, he heard a noise.
He struggled to open his eyes and saw dozens of people gathered in front of him, saying something in a harsh voice. He looked around and saw a large courtyard with blue bricks, white tiles, flying eaves and corridors. It had a strong ancient charm, but the rows of air-conditioning units on the windows proved that this was a modern world.
"He's awake, we can talk to him now." A young man in short sleeves pointed over and shouted.
Everyone stopped talking and looked over.
The yard suddenly became quiet. Tao Xing looked at the crowd. There were people of all ages in this group. Some wore simple long gowns, while others wore short-sleeved T-shirts like this young man.
"080, is there a mission objective here?" he asked.
There are no tips for beginners. The system can only detect whether there is one within a certain range, but not a specific place. 080 said: "There is none in this yard."
"Oh." Tao Xing withdrew his gaze and looked at his own body.
When he saw the emerald ring on his finger for the first time, his eyes lit up: "Wow, it's valuable."
080: "Host, why do I feel that these people's eyes are unfriendly?"
Tao Xing looked at the clothes she was wearing again. It was a double-breasted Tang suit with copper coin patterns. The style was a bit old-fashioned, but the material was excellent. She was happy again: "This dress is not cheap."
080: "Host, their faces don't look good either. It seems like they're going to start cursing in the next second."
After looking at the clothes, Tao Xing looked at the wide red wooden chair she was sitting on.
The system finally figured out what was wrong: "It's broad daylight, everyone is standing, but you are sitting. Host, the original owner is not in good health."
"Hmm." It can be felt that the body is not in good health and is very weak. Although the identity of the original owner is unknown, the basic physical condition is still known. Although this body is dressed old-fashioned, the person is young, less than 30 years old. However, at this age, he is already too weak to stand for a long time.
Tao Xing nodded and stroked the armrest: "This chair is also very expensive. I really have become a rich man."
080: “…”
Host, your current situation is not good. You are weak, and there are a bunch of angry people in front of you... Are they your enemies?
"Uncle San." The young man in short sleeves walked forward.
080 was stunned: "Not an enemy, but a relative?"
Tao Xing raised his eyes.
The young man said arrogantly, "You said you wanted to bask in the sun and we were not allowed to disturb you. Now that you are awake, you must have had enough sun. I think we should stop making trouble. I am Tao Sansi, and I will not beat around the bush. Uncle San, do you want to give up the position of head of this family?"
Tao Xing understood the original owner's identity and situation.
A large family that lives in the modern world but still adheres to ancient rules. The original owner was an uncle, ranked third, and inherited the position of head of the family, but the younger generations were dissatisfied.
The position of the head of the family must have been inherited just now, otherwise these younger generations would not start making trouble now. So some changes must have happened in the family. At least the original owner's parents, brother or sister are no longer around.
The unexpected events and the commotion made the already weak body of the original owner even more unable to bear it, and he just died while basking in the sun, so Tao Xing came over.
Tao Xing rolled his eyes, joking, a wealthy family owner, he raised his eyebrows at the young man: "Nephew, if I don't let you, what are you going to do?"
This caused a commotion. The young man named Tao Sansi narrowed his eyes and said, "I think you are sick and confused. What do you mean by elder nephew? I am your younger nephew. We came to discuss this with you because you are the elder. If you don't accept my toast, don't blame me..."
"Think twice, shut up." This was stopped by an elder who was wearing an old-fashioned long gown and had slightly white hair and beard. "The Third Young Master is your elder, you are not allowed to be disrespectful. It was the master who asked the Third Young Master to inherit the family business before he died."
"Why would Grandpa give the family business to this sickly person?" Another young man in a suit answered, "Even if it's according to the rules, shouldn't it be passed on to the eldest son? Now that the eldest son is gone, then it should be given to me, the eldest grandson. Just because our father died early, he doesn't take us seriously. He must have done something that even other people can't stand. Otherwise, will our ancestral graves be dug up?"
"That is to say, if grandpa wasn't partial, how could Second Uncle have run away from home for so many years? In short, we will never agree to Third Uncle inheriting the position as the head of the family. Even if this position is not given to the eldest brother, it must be chosen from among us three brothers." Another young man in a shirt spoke up.
"Tao Erxian, what do you mean? There is an order of seniority. I am the eldest grandson, so of course the head of the family is mine. What do you mean you won't give it to your eldest brother?" This remark caused dissatisfaction among the young man in the suit.
"Whoever has the ability will take charge. Tao Yiming, I give you face and call you brother. If I don't give you face, you are nothing."
"Are you looking for a fight?"
“Come on, come on…”
"Hey, have you two forgotten that I, the third oldest, exist..."
Tao Xing blinked and sorted out the relationship between these people. They were three brothers, all children of the original owner's eldest brother.
The original owner also had three brothers. The eldest brother died early, leaving behind three children.
It sounds like my second brother had a conflict with his family in his early years and lost contact with them for many years, so he basically has nothing to do with this family.
The old man died not long ago. Before he died, he wanted to leave his family business to his only son, the original owner, and not to his grandsons, so his three grandsons came to make trouble.
However, at this time, the three brothers who came to cause trouble started a internal conflict and fought each other.
Among the other people at the scene were their family members, some collateral relatives, as well as maids and housekeepers. Some came forward to try to stop the fight, while others helped their close ones to curse at each other. The place was a complete mess.
Tao Xing was sitting on a chair watching the fun with great interest. He was just thinking how nice it would be if he had a handful of melon seeds when the older man in the long gown suddenly roared, "What are you doing? Stop it!"
His roar had some weight, and everyone stopped.
It seems that this old man has a high status in this family.
Seeing this, the old man said angrily: "Over the years, Tao's business has been going from bad to worse, and disasters have continued. You still have the mood to fight!"
Tao Xing frowned: Ah, business is not doing well?
The old man was still angry, his face flushed. "Besides, the matter of the ancestral tomb has already been explained. It was the heavy rain that washed away the tomb. You are still making unwarranted guesses. Whoever discusses this matter again in the future will be punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall!"
The three brothers bowed their heads and said nothing.
The old man continued, "Well, if you don't listen to the master's last words, then we'll use the second method. The master also said that whoever can go to the old house of the Tao family and take out the plaque can inherit the position of the head of the family, regardless of age, not only the direct descendants of the Tao family, but also the collateral branches. As long as they can be invited out, they will be the head of the family. Who will go?"
There was no sound at the scene.
Tao Xing looked left and right, then turned and greeted someone next to him.
This man was probably in his forties or fifties. He had been standing next to the chair. He might be a butler or something. Just now when the three brothers were fighting, he asked Tao Xing if he was still able to hold on. It seemed that he had a good relationship with the original owner.
The housekeeper, Lao Qu, leaned forward and asked, "Third Young Master, what's the matter?"
"They stopped fighting. They felt guilty, right?" Tao Xing asked in a flattering way.
Old Qu glanced over there, pushed his chair back, and said in a low voice: "Master, you are kind, but don't think they are as kind as you. They don't fight, it's obvious that they are afraid. Who doesn't know that Xianyue Court is haunted? Who dares to go there?"
"Haunted?" Tao Xing's eyes lit up.
That "ghost" might be the target of the mission.
However, is the target of this world really a ghost? Doesn’t it look scary?
Tao Xing is still quite afraid of ghosts.
"I've said it many times, the haunting is a misunderstanding." There were whispers in the crowd, and the old man heard it and said sternly, "Back then, our ancestors invited many outsiders to cast a sealing formation, which affected the space of the house. In addition, the house is dark and damp, and no one has lived there for a long time, so the negative energy has gathered. People with unstable minds are very likely to have hallucinations, and what they saw were all illusions."
"Is it an illusion?" Tao Xing was a little disappointed again. It turned out that it was not a ghost.
No, it's not that there is a sealing formation. What is sealed must be something abnormal. Then the thing that is sealed must be the target of the mission.
We specially asked many outsiders to seal it. Is the target of this mission very dangerous?
If it is a very dangerous monster, then does it look scary?
Tao Xing is still very afraid of monsters.
“Although it is an illusion, people with unstable minds can easily be confused and become insane, so everyone should think carefully about whether or not to take the sealed plaque.” The old man continued.
Ah, Tao Xing was stunned again. What was sealed was not a dangerous monster, but just a plaque?
Is it the mission objective?
But, isn’t a plaque just a piece of wood?
080: "Host, are you afraid of wood?"
Tao Xing: “Ahem…”
But if it was just a piece of wood, the family wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to seal it, nor would they have to go to such great lengths to send people to get it back, right?
Could it be that the wood has become a spirit?
How can a piece of wood be a villain? Can it be used to hit people? Can it communicate? Does it have a mouth? Can it speak?
Tao Xing shook his head and sighed.
"Is there anyone willing to go?" the elder asked again.
"I'll go." Tao Sansi bravely answered in the crowd, "What are you afraid of? The Tao family is in the business of incense, candles and yellow paper. We make money from the dead. Isn't everyone in the Tao family born with intelligence and proficient in exorcising evil spells? How could they be easily deceived? Besides, we have you, the great elder, in charge."
Tao Xing, who has gained spiritual wisdom, knows that when he is just born, he asks someone to open the connection with the other world. At this time, the connection is the most vulnerable and can be opened easily.
Ordinary people cannot easily practice the Qimen Dunfa method to exorcise ghosts and ward off evil spirits, otherwise it will affect their own luck. However, those who have opened their spiritual wisdom will be much less affected.
At present, Tao is doing business, selling incense, candles, yellow paper, and making paper dolls and paper sedan chairs. It has its own unique traditional craftsmanship, which is completely different from the current industrial production lines. After several generations, it has become a famous brand.
But because this business is to send things to the dead, in order to prevent their descendants from being affected by bad luck and affecting their fortune, the Tao family had their descendants awaken their spiritual intelligence from birth. But after all, this is not a family that practices metaphysics, so awakening their spiritual intelligence and mastering a spell to ward off evil spirits are enough. There is no need to learn those strange Taoist methods. Even if the impact is small, it will still have an impact. Moreover, not everyone can learn it, and it also depends on talent and fate.
"But, the two people who went crazy after being there before are also our relatives. They have opened the spiritual wisdom to cast a spell to ward off evil spirits." Someone said.
"Well..." Tao Sansi said, "They are not very skilled. Besides, I would say... it might just be a coincidence. They accidentally fell into the hot candle oil."
It has been confirmed that the two people fell into candle oil, which caused their death. To do this business, it is easy to find a melting oil stove at home, but their family members insisted that they went crazy and jumped in after visiting the house, and the root cause was still the house.
Regardless of whether they were crazy or careless, the way they died was too horrific. It is still terrifying to think about it. In addition, the Tao family is mainly engaged in the incense and candle business. The deaths of the two people looked like giant candles with a mixture of red and white, which makes people even more afraid.
Everyone hesitated and didn't dare to respond. Tao Sansi coughed a few times, walked up the steps and said, "I'll go anyway. Since everyone is gathered here today for the same purpose, I suggest that we go together. There's nothing to be afraid of with so many people. As for the plaque, it depends on your ability. Whoever gets it first will own it."
The others looked at each other and thought, yes, there is courage in numbers, if they go together... it doesn't seem so scary.
Tao Yiming and Tao Erxian immediately raised their hands and said, "Okay, we'll go too."
The rest were mostly family members and servants, and they didn't react much. The side branches were not here today.
Tao Xing sat up straight and said, "I'll go too."
Everyone was shocked, and the elder asked, "Third Young Master, there is no need for you to go, right?"
With his physique and the fact that he has to use a wheelchair when going out, he is definitely not able to compete with others.
"I want to go." Tao Xing said.
The business is not going well, it doesn’t matter whether he is the head of the family or not, he has to find the target of the mission.
The nephews naturally had nothing to say, he was just a sickly kid and posed no threat.
After discussing it, they set off as soon as possible, packed up a little, and gathered at the gate of the old house at one o'clock in the afternoon.
The housekeeper Lao Qu didn't understand why Tao Xing wanted to go, and he couldn't dissuade her, so he said, "I'll take you there."
The old house was not far away, in the same town, and could be reached on foot in about ten minutes. Tao Xing sat in a wheelchair and talked to Lao Qu behind him: "I have been ill for many days, and my mind is a bit muddled. In which year was this plaque made?"
Lao Qu leaned forward and said, "It's been so long since the plaque was made. It's normal that you can't remember it clearly."
Tao Xing narrowed her eyes slightly, listened to him, and nodded: "So that's how it is. By the way, is the Great Elder still angry about the ancestral tomb?"
Old Qu said, "That's right. They kept saying that the ancestral tomb was opened by rain to stop people from talking about it. But in fact, it was obvious that someone had dug it up. Who wouldn't guess? It must have been dug up by the side branch where the two people died. The people died after coming to the old Tao house, so they naturally hold a grudge."
"Oh." Tao Xing nodded, and after walking all the way, he learned indirectly what he wanted to know. The so-called great elder was the one with the best intelligence in the Tao family. This kind of person was extremely talented in the mysterious arts. No matter whether they were from the collateral branch or the direct branch, they would be raised by the direct branch and sent to learn strange arts, and then come back to assist the head of the family.
It is usually used to help customers with feng shui and choose burial dates, and it is very important. In addition, he has specially learned strange methods and his ability should not be underestimated. Therefore, the status of the eldest elder in the Tao family is second only to the head of the family.
However, to take on the position of the chief elder, he would have to give up the right to compete for the position of the head of the family. Perhaps he was afraid that being too ostentatious would really attract creatures from other worlds. The master had said before that those who did not compete for the right to be the head of the family were not allowed to enter the old house, so he would not go with everyone.
A family that is on the verge of decline has a lot of messy rules.
Old Qu said the same thing, lamenting that his family was too rigid in their old ways. He was filled with indignation, and by the time he came to his senses, he was already standing in front of the door of the old house.
He leaned over and said to the person in the wheelchair, "Third Young Master, we're here."
Tao Xing: “…I know.”
He was sitting in a wheelchair, with the tip of his nose already touching the vermilion door. If he moved a little further forward, his entire face would be pressed against it.
The housekeeper hurriedly pulled back, and Tao Xing raised his eyes to look at the old red wooden door. The paint had fallen off in bits and pieces, and the door knocker was rusty. Time had left mottled marks on it, but the dense carvings, intricate patterns, and wood texture still showed its exquisite workmanship and fine material.
This is a house that is said to be a thousand years old. It is well maintained, but has been abandoned since the owner moved out. Someone may come to clean it occasionally, but not often.
Looking up, the pointed eaves of the roof and the rows of ridge beasts have faded from the wind and rain for thousands of years, but one can still glimpse the former luxury and wealth of the owner.
There was no plaque above the door, and that plaque was what they were looking for. It was said that about two hundred years ago, when the Tao family moved away from this place, the plaque was taken down and put somewhere in the courtyard.
Although there is no plaque on the door, the housekeeper said that this house is called "Xianyueting".
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